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Middlebrooks gets another day to rest wrist

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- After another day to think about it, manager John Farrell opted to wait until Saturday to re-insert third baseman Will Middlebrooks into the Red Sox's starting lineup.

Middlebrooks gave everyone a scare -- including himself - when he exited Wednesday night's game with discomfort in his right wrist, which he fractured last August.

It turned out to be nothing significant, perhaps just the breaking up of scar tissue when Middlebrooks took a check swing.

Farrell had planned on putting Middlebrooks back in the lineup for Friday night's game, but he decided to be more conservative.

"We just wanted to give him one more work day," said Farrell. "I think as he came out of that game, the way he felt, I think we're all best served by just another day of normal pregame, full BPs, on-field work, and right now, he's in the lineup [Saturday]."

Middlebrooks was still encouraged that the incident wound up being nothing more than a scare.

"I'm fine," Middlebrooks said. "No worries."

Meanwhile, left fielder Jonny Gomes was also out of the lineup for a second straight game after running into the wall in Sarasota on Wednesday. Gomes needed three stitches in his left kneecap.

"[He's] still probably another couple of days away," said Farrell. "We want to make sure that the laceration has a chance to start to close up and not prolong anything there. You talk to him, he wants to play tonight, but we're still in a day to day thing with him."